Improvement in cans for packing meat



2 Sheets-Sheet I.

Patented Oct. 23, 1877.

J SEARS Oan'for Packing Meat. 7 No. 196,485.

WiZ'ne-sse s, 4;

NPETERS. PNOTO-UTHBGRAPHER, WASMXNGTON DVC.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. SEARS. Gan forPaoking Meat. No.196,485. Patented Oct. 23, 1877 N.PETERB, PHDTO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. up.

UNITED STATES PATENT :OFFIGE.

'JosnPH sEARs, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

, IMPROVEMENT lN CANS FOR PACKING MEAT.

$pecification forming part of Letters Patent No. 196,485, dated October 23, 1877 application filed September 18,1877.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH SEARS, ofOhicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Dlinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cans for Packing Meat; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to which 'collapsing-surfaceof the can or vessel should be as great as practicable in proportion to its containing capacity and it is alsoimport'ant that the contents may be taken out as whole or unbroken as possible, whenwanted for use. The greater the collapsing-surface as compared with the quantity of incased meat the more compact will be the mass of meat, and the less liability will there be of any air or gas or vacuum spaces within, which, as is well known, are detrimental to the character, quality, and merchantable value of the meat.

The proper condition should be, as far as practicable, an entire absence of any space whatever at all points between the meat and the inside of the sealed can.

To remedy the above-named defects and to secure in an eminent degree the above-named desired end are the objects of my presentimprovements, which consist in constructing the can with two or more bulging collapsible sides, whether these sides be straight or tapering; and in also making one or both heads, as well as the sides, bulging and collapsible; and in other details ormodificationshereinafterstated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a three-sided or angular-bodied can illustrating my invention, the sides in this figure not being shown as tapering; Fig. '2, a vertical section of the same in line 00 a: of Fig. 1, showing the inside of the can; Fig. 3, the same collapsed, showing substantially how it would appear after'being filled, collapsed, and ready for shipment; Fig. 4, the same can on a reduced scale after being filled and after- .ward opened for use, showing the manner in which its contents come out whole; Fig. 5, a vertical section of a similar can, but with its sides somewhat tapering; Fig. 6, a five-sided or pentagonal collapsible can with collapsible heads in section, and Fig. 7 a cross-section of the same.

and, in addition to these bulging sides, the

heads may (one or both) be bulging and col- .lapsible. It will be seen, therefore, that if every one of the faces of this fivefaced can that is, its three sides ,andits two heads or ends-be made to collapse, the very maximum of collapsible surface is attained; but as cans are made of various capacities or dimensions,

and of different material or qualities of material, all would not need to be collapsed on every one of the five faces. Therefore, .in some. it will be quite sufficient to have two of the quadrangular sides collapse, and one orboth heads-- in others to have both the ends or heads d e to collapse, and one or. more of the sides a b 0. These sides a. b c of the can may, as above stated, be tapering, the latter form being shown in Fig. 4.; but this taper, while sufficient for the somewhat easier filling or emptying of the can, should not be enough to make the smaller head so small as to prevent its collapsibility; otherwise one of the chief objects of my invention would be defeatedviz., the insuring of a large amount of collapsing-surface-for it will readily be seen that a small head not only would not afford any appreciable collapse, but that, if made bulging, it would not collapse at all; and, moreover, it would also materially prevent the efficient collapsing of that portion of the sides next adjacent to such rigid head.

Cans for packing meat are generally made with their height greater than their breadth or ends. The ends, if made bulging, cannot afford sufficient collapsing-surface for successful packing. If the body of the can be cylindrical, it is not in proper shape for collapsing. If the sides be simply flatthat is, not outwardly bulging-their capacity for collapsing is too slight. The area of the sides of flatsided cans being ordinarily much greater than In the form shown in Figs. 1., 2, and 3,'the

-There is elso. increased. economy in making I the can, as the heads may be made ofsmall; 'pieees of'soreptine 1 1 1 1 Another advantage of: the threeesided I can wvhosesides bulge "and collapse is that byoutthe: area; of the ends, ennore preotieelly sue eessful eollepsingsurfaee can be obtained by bulging a side than by bulging an 'end', and;

consequently the meet will be better and Ion-1 ger preserved ;1 and. by: melting the can of the shape: described, whereby'every one of its ,1 surfaces can be bulged endeollepsiblethere is but a small portion of the entire can-40 1 wit, that at endneer its engles-Whioh is not available for oompressing themeet. My improved construction aiso, by reason of the, increased collapsible surface afforded, "seves mueh. of the expense and labor incidentto' filling end peeking, inasmuch as there is V but littleneedof reinming'or closely packing the meat in the can 1'before closing it, because eac-h'ean, when collapsed, performs this duty ofend byitself. 1

ting away one side the contents will fall out 1 in one solid body, although: eompressed end "indented by the collapsed sides, and do not 1 need to be .du'gortorn out, and thus: idisintegrated, leaving a portion Within thecen, "while 1 1 also rendering the body of 1 the meat unsightly. Besides the 1 advantages already named as 1 1 due to my improved eonstruction, the following may bestate'd, viz: 1 I 1 Upon 'eutting' one ofthe 'sidessny ar as:

1 shown in Fig. 4, in the lines 1 to 2, 2 to 3,3 to

4, and then continuing this out in the line 4 to 5 of the next adjacent side, b, the side a Will 'be left connected only to the head (I, and, up-

on bending back this head at the line 5 1 of 1. 11 olalim-- the side 0 as e hinge-,- the eontainedmeet will I 1 readily fall out entire, and all ready for the r 1 table,end in at most convenient shape for slio- 1 1 I 1 1 in g. 1

I 1 1 The same general plain of 1 opening isenplt eehleto a four-sided or five or more sidedealn, varying, of course, with thedifl'ereneeof form.

1 in my construction the meat may be packed V P e in the. cans quite loos ly because 1 the eollapsibility is so greet'reletively to the :bulk of the meat that Whenthe can has been 1, i 1

collapsed the meat-Will be solid and eompaem. 1 thereduetionof the eepeeityof theean when 1 collapsed being about one'third ofwthe whole, l 1 r for the reason that each of thebnlging sides 1; orends,when collapsedwthetistosey,eeused 1 1 .toprojeot within thefoanreduees the space 1 therein to an extent equal to about double of its original outward bulge. 1 1, I 1 1 1 11; A hermetioel set forth.

JOSEPH SEARS. Witnesses:

J. O. LEWIs, J. W. STEWART.

food-peeking can halving 1, two or-more outwardly-bulging and: eollepst 1 V 1 "ble sides, substantially as and for. the purpose 

